NEWS ALERT!
IRS TAX SCAMS!! DON’T TALK AND DON’T CLICK!!!
I am a member of a wonderful neighborhood internet community called NextDoor.com. I check it regularly for neighborhood news, garage sales, restaurant openings, and general good cheer.
Recently, I read an all too familiar post about a common scam – the IRS Impostor Scam. This one targets all of us, not like others which tend to mostly target our senior citizens. Here’s how it works:
You receive an aggressive phone call from someone impersonating an IRS agent. He says you owe back taxes and demands immediate payment – usually by wire transfer or worse, they want your bank account number for an immediate debit. If you don’t agree, they threaten fines, arrest, or driver’s license revocation. If you still don’t agree, they say they will refer your case to their lawyers. Sometimes the call comes in the guise of verifying tax return information; they say they are reviewing your return and need to verify a few details to process it. The scammer tries to get you to give up personal information such as a Social Security Number or personal financial information.
There are also new reports of e-mail scams where you get an e-mail that appears to come from the IRS. These senders are “phishing” for your private account information so they can use it to commit fraud or identity theft against you. They try to trick you to give up personal information. Do not respond or click the links. Doing so can connect you to a site that looks like an official IRS site, but in addition to asking for personal information can carry malware, which will infect your computer.
These IRS Impostor scams are NUMBER 1 in the top ten scams in order of the number of complaints made last year to the US Special Committee on Aging. The list also includes Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams, Robocalls, Contest cons and Survey swindles, and Wifi Hackers.
Be vigilant and look out for your loved ones – the elderly are particularly vulnerable to these scams.
The Law Office of Debra G. Simms is ready to answer your questions about Elder Abuse and Exploitation. Call us today at (386) 256-4882.
